Move over, pothos, your reign as one of the more popular houseplants could be just about over.

Pilea Peperomioides, commonly known as the Chinese money or friendship plant, just might knock you off your pedestal. Never heard of it? You’re behind since this friendly, semi-succulent houseplant is all over social media and blogs. An @pilea.lovers Instagram account has 20,000 followers. Top that pothos.

For those of you tired of the basic Boston fern or succulent-of-the-hour, there are choices and not just the Pilea. Houseplants are celebrating a resurgence in a continual effort to bring Mother Nature indoors while also providing living sculptural accessories that are comfortable in all kinds of interiors. But there’s something about the mysterious Pilea, enough to entice Leland and Mackenna Rowley to bank on it. The Rowleys, owners of Rowley Press, a fine paper and letterpress company, have done a bit of an about-face and opened Piep in a renovated Orange Street store in downtown Riverside, which sells home goods and works of local artists. Its mainstay, though, plants, primarily the Pilea. The new company also ships houseplants and accessories nationwide.

What prompted the Rowleys to expand from printing to plants? “We love plants. And then a good friend asked about a Chinese money plant and since my husband is good at finding things, he started looking around,’’ Mackenna Rowley said. “We found a tiny cutting on eBay for $100. We thought we’d experiment with propagating one.”

As with many businesses, Piep began out of necessity. Mackenna and Leland Rowley, too, wanted to buy a Pilea but encountered problems finding one that didn’t cost a fortune – they go for $120 per seedling on eBay. So the longtime plant lovers decided to branch out and start another business, making Pileas accessible to the United States market and affordable, starting at $34.99.

Leland Rowley embarked on a year-long quest exploring propagation methods, building a greenhouse and learning all he could about soil.

A wild, wonderful, plant-filled year began, culminating in the store’s recent opening. Along the way, the couple had its first baby (human, not Pilea) while still managing its printing company. “Along the way, we fell in love with an amazing array of other houseplants, custom pots, gorgeous art, and a bunch of other fun stuff we decided we just had to sell as well,” said Mackenna Rowley. “We want to be able to serve everyone’s plant needs.’’

Mackenna Rowley said Piep is a “curated jungle,’’ home to all kinds of succulents to frilly figs and, of course the Pilea, offering an option to those looking for the unusual. Eventually, the Rowleys want to host classes and events on houseplant care, crafts/DIY, and educational lectures. Piep will also be available for small special events.

Pilea peperomioides is a rare and hard-to-find indoor plant native to southern China. The photogenic plant, with its bright green flat, coin-shaped leaves, works in all settings particularly in households that prefer a more minimalist design. It loves the indoors and is easy to propagate – another reason it’s so popular. It produces offshoots or “pups’’ that can produce separate plants or be given away, hence one of its nicknames “the friendship plant.” For anyone who has ever shared a sourdough starter with a friend or co-worker, this could be for you. Adding to its lore, Norwegian missionary Agnar Espegren found it, fell in love with it and brought it home to Norway in 1946. He reportedly enjoyed giving Pilea “pups” to friends prompting many in that country to call it the “missionary plant.”

It’s not only about the Pilea – well maybe it is, at least for now – but the store also offers other pleasant plant choices such as a glossy Peperomia for $14.99 and a Madagascar Dragon Tree for $19.99 along with others.

Planning your own plant paradise at home and want something else besides a Pilea? Gary Jones, chief horticulturist for Armstrong Garden Centers, offered information about five popular houseplants and why they made the list –

Orchids: Loved for their blooms that last for weeks, if not months; very easy care, needing water once or twice a week; place in bright indirect light

Pothos: One of the easiest-to-grow houseplants, perfect for beginners; beautiful trailing foliage that ranges from deep green to lime green depending on the variety; and happy in most light conditions

Spathiphyllum (Spath): Commonly called a “Peace lily;” known for its white cup-shaped blooms; low-maintenance plant that thrives in low-light conditions

Bromeliad: Colorful flowers that pop in a wide range of tropical hues including pink, orange, red and yellow; place in bright, indirect light indoors or part shade outdoors

Ivy: Arrow-shaped leaves on trailing vines; lovely alone in a pot or combined with other plants and valued as a trailing variety; place in an area of high or bright light

Suzanne Sproul is a lucky wife and proud mom of two great daughters. She’s a transplanted Snow Bird from Chicago who prefers warm climates, particularly central Florida and its beautiful Gulf Coast and Southern California, where she’s lived most of her life. The University of Florida J-school graduate has been a city reporter and features editor, but has spent the past 27 fun years covering stories she loves -- features about SoCal’s diverse and trendy homes+gardens and eclectic arts/entertainment along with her weekly column about the good people of the Inland Empire. When she’s not filing stories, you can find her gardening at home, biking with her husband, jumping around in Zumba class, organizing family adventures – digging for hanksite clusters at the Gem-o-Rama in Trona, anyone? – or rooting for favored sports teams. I’m looking at you USC Trojans, University of California Davis Aggies, University of Florida Gators and those loveable Chicago Cubs, World Champions 2016. Life really is good!

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